


Chocolate Chip

by chicbabyleo



Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, adorable caretaker hakyeon, drunk!taekwoon, just for plot tho, subtle raken
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 02:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17417501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicbabyleo/pseuds/chicbabyleo
Summary: On a trip to a noraebang and barbecue, Hakyeon saves his newly-met drunken acquaintance Taekwoon from an inappropriate encounter.





	Chocolate Chip

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Heart is Taeken Fic Fest, and I would like to thank the mod again for hosting this. For any errors and typos, I do apologize.

 

 

"You're lame."

 

"I have to work!"

 

"You're still lame."

 

Hakyeon puffed his cheeks out. It wasn't his fault he had to work at the cafe tomorrow, and it wasn't his fault that Jaehwan decided to plan their big get-together the night just before his work day.

 

"I am not going to work hungover and risk getting fired."

 

"Everyone does it. You're just a pussy."

 

Hakyeon shoved Wonshik, debating for the third time that night why he invited his friend along and, also, why he considered him his friend. Wonshik laughed quietly as Hakyeon crossed his arms, staring down the street. Through his white puffy jacket, he shivered. He kept his teeth clenched to keep from chattering. Wind ruffled his dark hair, tossing it in front of his eyes, as snowflakes speckled his red-tinted cheeks.

 

He considered calling him when he heard his voice.

 

"Yeonnie _hyung_ ~!" Jaehwan shouted above the wind in his melodic voice and ran toward the older man, his arms wide open. He tackled Hakyeon into a sudden hug of marshmallow-jacket proportion.

 

"I missed you!"

 

"And I missed warmth. Can we go inside now?"

 

Jaehwan pulled away and gestured the group behind him to follow. There were more people than Hakyeon expected, although he wasn't sure why. Jaehwan had always been a popular kid.

 

The group of maybe twelve (Hakyeon didn't count), entered the building. It was dimly lit with a couple colored lights shining in the room. Beside the front desk there stood about five vending machines, and across from them, three violet couches formed in a semicircle.

 

Jaehwan stepped up to the desk to talk to the staff about their reservation. Hakyeon watched as they handed him all the equipment for the room. It had been a long time since Hakyeon came to a _noraebang_ . The last time he came (probably) with Jaehwan. Most likely just the two of them.

 

Jaehwan waddled back to the group, his arms full of the microphones, microphone caps, and etc. He wasted no time in shoving half of it into Hakyeon's arms. Hakyeon wondered if he was made to help simply because he was the only one Jaehwan could force it onto him.

 

They went to the room and set everything down. When the door was closed, they shucked off their thick coats, revealing all the alcohol they snuck inside the room. Everyone carried at least two bottles or cans, some even three or four.

 

All except Hakyeon.

 

Jaehwan gave Hakyeon a look when he noticed. Hakyeon didn’t hesitate to defend himself.

 

"I work tomorrow."

 

"That's code for he is too lame to drink," Wonshik threw in, and Hakyeon shot him another glare.

 

Jaehwan flashed a humoring smile and moved closer to them, slapping a hand on Hakyeon's shoulder. "Hakyeon can be pretty lame." Hakyeon opened his mouth to protest, but Jaehwan went on. "He can be pretty wild, though. But you get one hundred percent wild or one hundred percent lame. And tonight we get the lame-ass Hakyeon."

 

Hakyeon wrapped his hands around Jaehwan's neck and started shaking him. That latter simply laughed in amusement, but Wonshik interfered.

 

"Stop that! He's right. And I like him." He stopped for a second, and considered, then corrected. “Most of the time. Most of the time I like him.”

 

Jaehwan continued to smile and rubbed his neck, looking now at Wonshik thankfully.

 

"This is Wonshik. He is a dick like you. You will get along."

 

Jaehwan wasted no time introducing himself, feigning being a gentleman. After he shook Wonshik's hand, he shouted out in his boisterous voice for everyone else to pay attention:

 

"Everyone! As I mentioned, this is my childhood friend Hakyeon hyung!" He pulled the older male to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Hakyeon raised a hand in greeting as eight-ish pairs of eyes focused on him. "He is an ahjussi we must pay our respects to! Even if he drinks no alcohol, I promise he isn't as lame as he looks." Hakyeon jabbed Jaehwan in the ribs with his elbow. It didn’t even affect the other. "This is his friend Wonshik. Treat him even better because he isn't used to me yet!" Wonshik nodded. "And this is Eunho, Shin, Hoseok, Howon, Sungmin, Kibum, Jungsoo, Dowoon, and Taekwoon." Each one either waved, nodded, and smiled. All but one. The last one. Taekwoon. He was tall, lean, with broad shoulders, built like a “T.” His gaze downcast, his black fringe covering his forehead and most of his eyes. As he listened to Jaehwan, he bit his lip, and released it slowly. Hakyeon didn't realize his eyes were glued to that plump lip until Jaehwan finished. He missed whatever last bit his friend said. As long as no one caught him gawking, he should be okay. At least that’s what he hoped.

 

"Come on," Wonshik said. Hakyeon nodded, grabbing his coat and moving to the back of the room with Wonshik. They settled on a couple of violet pillows.  
He knew what this outing was for, at least, so he had a bit of an idea of what was going to happen. Their teacher in their vocal class (or whatever it was called, Hakyeon didn't remember) challenged them to prepare a performance of a girl song. Here, they were going to practice their songs in front of the makeshift audience. Plus drinking. And meat. But that was after the performance.

 

Wonshik opened his beer and took a sip as Hakyeon watched them prepare the machine for their individual shows.

 

There was a variety of songs. Some ballads, some cute, some sexy. Most of them couldn't dance, although some tried. One lacked rhythm, making Hakyeon cringe. He was supporting, though, keeping his reactions to a minimum. He clapped for everyone, and cheered when the boys attempted to be cute or sexy. He made note of the ones who needed help with facial expressions, wondering if he should step in with his notable dance history.

 

Wonshik drank his one bottle in no time, and was halfway through his second when Jaehwan came on. Mental state more than halfway gone.

 

Jaehwan held back nothing for his performance. Even as children, Jaehwan always did more than what was expected. He went above and beyond time and time again, and he turned heads. He always stood out, and he was always praised.

 

This time was no different. He chose " _What Is Love_ " by Twice, and performed the whole song, dancing and singing. He wasn’t a professional nor an idol, so it affected his singing. Yet he somehow was never breathless. He sold it well, using the cute concept to his advantage. Forever a natural with _aegyo_ , killing the ladies.

 

And the men.

 

"Jesus..." Wonshik commented under his breath.

 

Hakyeon glanced at him, confused. Wonshik still had his eyes still glued to Jaehwan, his mouth slightly agape.

 

"Huh?"

 

Wonshik swallowed thickly. "I'd gladly give him a lesson in love."

 

Hakyeon blinked, but didn't argue as Jaehwan finished his performance strong.

 

Wonshik clapped wildly, even called out praises, making Jaehwan smile, probably blush. The was too dim to tell. Unsure what to make of all of this, Hakyeon chose to ignore his friend’s demeanor and applaud his friend.

 

They rest of the acts were either forgettable, or cringe-worthy. One was decent. Jaehwan truly stole the show. His only competition was the quiet boy Taekwoon.

 

Unlike the others, he did a ballad. He didn't talk, introduce himself, or move from the front: his eyes remained downcast, most of the time closed, singing passionately into the microphone. The song was Girls' Generation's " _One Last Time_ ." For the first time that night, the room was quiet, all ears focused on his gentle, melancholic ballad.

 

Hakyeon knew the song. Being an avid fanboy of Seohyun, of course he knew it. When it came on shuffle, he typically skipped it. Not because he didn't like it, no, but because he liked it _too_ much. It always brought him close to tears. As he listened, he needed to cover his mouth and fight the tears threatening to fall. Eyes sparkling, he focused on the lean man performing. The way he held the microphone was almost intimate, like he was holding a lover, his lips only centimeters from the top, brushing over the plastic covering in a teasing kiss. Unlike the others, he conveyed emotion through the lyrics. It was subtle, but it was there. The defining factor of a professional singer. Or, at least, that's what Hakyeon knew from singing shows he watched.

 

He had _it_ .

 

Talent.

 

And more.

 

When the song ended, Hakyeon released the breath he didn't know he was holding. Clapping didn't seem like the proper way to appreciate his performance, so he didn't. Everyone else did but Hakyeon. He continued to watch the boy flash a diffident smile, nod his head sheepishly in thanks, and then move back out of the center. Hakyeon blinked away his forming tears and tried to keep his breathing even.

 

 

  
***

 

 

  
The best part about being so much older was that Hakyeon didn't have to cook the meat at their end of the table. On the left side of the long table, he sat across from Jaehwan and next to Wonshik. Wonshik's face glowed bright red from the alcohol already and his laugh boomed louder than ever, seeming to shake the whole restaurant. Jaehwan, on the other hand,  drank his fifth beer, not even tipsy. Wonshik, the youngest among the three, happily volunteered to prepare the meat. Flirty, happy, and drunk. Obviously trying to impress Jaehwan. Hakyeon guessed Jaehwan probably knew too. He made a note to apologize to his friend later.

 

"I'm looking to become a vocal coach for idols at a company," Jaehwan said as he took a swig of his beer.

 

"But then you will never perform yourself! Why would you waste that!?" Wonshik asked louder than he must have realized, a slight whine to his voice. As he spoke, he gestured with the grilling scissors, stabbing them in Jaehwan's direction, earning a shocked, silent exchange with Hakyeon.

 

"That's not true--"

 

"You should be an idol!" Wonshik announced, making Jaehwan laugh. He slurred the "should" so bad, the sound he produced hardly resembled the word. Hakyeon made another note to keep an eye on him the rest of the night.

 

"I'll be right back," Hakyeon whispered. He got a nod from Jaehwan, but Wonshik remained too busy rambling on about idols Jaehwan could beat in a singing contest.

 

With an exhale, he made his way to the bathroom. Drunk Wonshik could be draining, but a drunk, flirty Wonshik proved even more exhausting.

 

He took longer than necessary on purpose. He used the urinal, washed his hands, and studied himself in the mirror. Fixing his hair, tracing his jawline, biting his lip to bring more blood to it, making it look fuller and redder. One man muttered an offensive comment. Hakyeon pretended to ignore it. So sue him. He cared about his appearance. What was so wrong with a man caring about how he looked?

 

Brushing his fingers through his hair one more time, he exited the bathroom, a little on edge from the comment, although he would never admit it. With one final adjustment his shirt, he started to make his way back to the table when he noticed the talented, tall boy from earlier talking with someone in the aisle, away from the table.

 

 _Taekwoon_ , he remembered.

 

He slowed, confused why he was talking to someone in the middle of the room, nowhere near the table or the bathroom. His soft black hair disheveled, his face flushed a bright red. Shifting on his long legs, he seemed slightly off balance, using a beam to hold him up.

 

The group did _soju_ shots not too long ago. With his skinny body, Hakyeon suspected he was a lightweight, just like himself.

 

The other man stood slightly shorter, closer to Hakyeon's height. His hair cut short, dyed blond. He was wearing thick, black rimmed glasses and leaning slightly towards Taekwoon.

 

Taekwoon was leaning back.

 

Hakyeon stepped behind a different beam. He got too close to one table, and the group of girls giving him a strange look, but he had to give into his curiosity.

 

"..fun," the other man said, Hakyeon only catching the end of the sentence. Taekwoon took a step back, stumbling a bit like a man on stilts.

 

"I--" Taekwoon responded in his soft voice, but was cut off.

 

"You would have more fun with me tonight than with any of those boys." He paused and leaned in a bit again, dropping his voice an octave. "And you would be a lot more satisfied too."

 

"I said n-no," Taekwoon responded, his words sliding together, still nearly inaudible and hesitant. He attempted to move away again but the blond latched onto Taekwoon's wrist. Hakyeon tensed.

 

"Relax. Trust me. I can give you sample of the night you would be missing at least." Taekwoon opened his mouth to protest again, but the man squeezed his wrist, making him gasp. No matter if the sound was out of pain or surprise, Hakyeon didn’t like it.

 

"Let me see how beautiful you are," he murmured to Taekwoon, moving to push their bodies closer together.

 

Taekwoon's glazed eyes suddenly became alert, shooting wide open, glistening with tangible fear.

 

Like a kitten frozen in front of a bear.

 

"There you are!"

 

Hakyeon called then approached them, not sure when he decided to do this, his body moving on its own. Both of the men turned to face him, the bastard's hand quickly releasing Taekwoon's arm and taking a small step back, as if it would melt any evidence away. The blond's face remained blank, unreadable, but the panic was starting to drain from Taekwoon's own. Hakyeon didn't even know if he recognized him as part of their group. At that moment, he didn't care. Later, his pride might.

 

With ease, Hakyeon slipped his fingers into Taekwoon's long ones, their hands molding together seamlessly.

 

 _Trust me. Don't run._ If only he could project thoughts to his mind.

 

Squeezing Taekwoon's hand, he turned to face the taller, lean man. He flashed a bright, maybe even flirty, smile.

 

" _Jagiya_ , I'm sorry I'm late. Work wouldn't let me go." Pursing his lips into his famous pout, he hoped his acting was good enough to convey sincerity. He focused solely on Taekwoon's glassy eyes, noticing his irises were not unlike two perfect black marbles. They were still wide and bright, studying him. Slightly unreadable, Hakyeon could almost see Taekwoon’s brain trying to process the situation and, well, _him_ .

 

Hakyeon raised Taekwoon's hand gracefully up to his lips, kissing the back of it. Taekwoon still only stared.

 

"Shall we go on that date I promised you?"

 

An eternity of a moment passed in the seconds between question and answer.

 

"Yes."

 

Hakyeon's heart skipped a beat upon hearing that one short word. He didn't know why he expected him not to get it and not play along.

 

Gently, he coaxed Taekwoon towards him, careful not to pull him as roughly as the blond so rudely did. Taekwoon stumbled slightly, his one foot turning, making him half-fall. Hakyeon’s free hand quickly grasped his forearm, helping to steady him, and stopping him from bowling Hakyeon over. With a subtle grunt, Hakyeon pushed him back up gently, and suddenly became aware of how close they were. He could smell the mix of beer, soju, and meat radiating off him, the alcohol the most overwhelming and prominent. Hell. He was wasted. He had to get him out of here.

 

And away from that man.

 

Hakyeon stole a quick glance at the blond. Long enough to see an anger that Hakyeon swore he only saw in criminals in police shows.

 

If he had gotten Taekwoon into a stall, or worse---

 

He didn't allow himself to finish any of those thoughts. With Taekwoon straightened, he released their hands and wrapped one arm around the other’s, allowing Taekwoon to lean on him slightly as they walked. Although Hakyeon didn't look like much, he was strong. All those years of dancing giving him nice lean muscles that would certainly fade after he graduated uni and settled down into a nine-to-five job.

 

He stumbled a couple of times whenever Taekwoon stumbled, but he kept righting him. One goal in mind: the door. Eventually they reached the outside with Taekwoon's jelly-like legs.

 

It was snowing at a decent rate. Blinking snowflakes from his eyes, Hakyeon shivered and realized he didn't grab his jacket, or Taekwoon's for that matter. But like hell he was going to go back into that place. Not now. Not with the threat still imminent.

 

They had to get somewhere warm. Through the bustling crowd, Hakyeon spotted a cafe across the street. It wasn't far from the restaurant, but Hakyeon hoped it would do. It wasn't like he was going to leave him alone now.

 

Or perhaps he needed to take him somewhere safer.

 

He spared a glance at Taekwoon. He was staring straight up into the sky, watching the puffs of cotton flakes floating down with childlike wonder.

 

He needed to go home. He needed to be safe.

 

"You go to _Kondae_ too, right? Do you live in the dorm?"

 

Taekwoon finally turned to Hakyeon and studied him again, as if he had forgotten he was there while he was staring at the snow. After blinking slowly a couple of times, he said, "I have apartment."

 

The sentence was messy and blunt, but at least it made sense.

 

"I'm going to take you back there. I-I think you are too drunk to--"

 

"I’m not drunk!"

 

Hakyeon jumped like he was zapped by electricity. It was a blunt, forceful shout that contradicted the easy, mellow voice he had only heard from the man before. Taekwoon's jaw remained set, every muscle tense. Nothing was wrong with the sentence either. This was clearly something he felt strongly about.

 

Hakyeon went to respond when Jaehwan came running out with his white puffy coat and a long, gray wool coat.

 

"Hyung!"

 

"Jaehwan-ah?" Taekwoon asked, easily sliding back into his mild mannerisms, although seeming to question Jaehwan's presence and Hakyeon wondered how well the man's mind was functioning with all the liquor.

 

"Hey. What's wrong?" Jaehwan asked, glancing at Taekwoon, then focusing solely on Hakyeon, as if he just figured out most of the situation.

 

"Something happened in there," Hakyeon explained quietly, taking his coat slowly, speaking under his breath. "He's trashed. I was gonna take him somewhere safe.."

 

Jaehwan frowned, stealing another glance at Taekwoon who was now watching someone walking a dog behind them, back into his childish mindset. "Was it serious?"

 

"I can text you later. Do you know where he lives?"

 

"He lives in the same building as me. 1267, I believe. He should have his keycard with him." He spared another glance before passing Hakyeon the wool coat that must have been Taekwoon's. "Be less of an idiot. It's fucking freezing out here. Both of your balls are gonna be icicles." Hakyeon took the coat and then shoved Jaehwan.

 

"Be safe," was his last comment as he turned to go back inside. Hakyeon felt he was missing something else. He was about to search the pockets when he remembered.

 

Shit.

 

"Make sure Wonshik gets back okay!" He called after Jaehwan. "Take him home or dump him at my place!"

 

Jaehwan laughed and saluted him.

 

If Hakyeon had been drinking, he probably would have been just as wasted and needed to be taken care of as well.

 

It was nice to be on the other side of the more unphased drinkers like Jaehwan for once.

 

 

  
***

 

 

With only a little trouble, Hakyeon managed to get Taekwoon to put his jacket on and get him into a taxi. He gave the address discretely to the driver in fear that it would bring out the “I’m not drunk” anger again if he heard where they were going. Settling into the back with Taekwoon, Hakyeon stared at things on his phone. He really wasn’t paying attention to anything on there, but he wanted something to do, or look like he was doing something. In actuality, he kept thinking about Wonshik and hoping he didn’t give Jaehwan too much trouble when he took him home, and that he didn’t do anything too odd to embarrass himself. Jaehwan would be able to handle himself, even if the slightly vulgar comments slipped out.

 

He sent the text to Jaehwan explaining what happened, at least. Along with a couple of warnings about Wonshik and how to handle him.

 

Sparing a glance at Taekwoon, Hakyeon finally put his phone away. The other was singing loudly and passionately along to the songs on the radio, even if he didn’t know some of the songs. He would try. It was slightly embarrassing, although mostly humorous. Covering his mouth with his hand, Hakyeon pretended to cough to hide his laugh. The boy was talented, and if he really wanted, he could go far.

 

Well, as talented as someone could be without knowing the song and being wasted beyond belief.  
At least the taxi driver also appeared to be amused, which was good. Hakyeon didn’t know what he would have done if they ended up in a car with a grumpy _ahjussi_ that couldn’t handle Taekwoon’s eager voice.

 

The song finally ended. It was one of NCT’s newest songs, one that was clearly not meant to accent the vocals. Yet Taekwoon tried really, really hard to sing it.

 

And rap it.

The driver finally commented: “Wow. Are you boys trainees?”

 

Hakyeon pinched his leg to keep from laughing. That had to be a compliment on Hakyeon’s appearance if he was included in that question; he wasn’t ready to put on his own singing show. “Trust me, sir, we are much too old to be trainees.” He paused and spared another glance at Taekwoon, his face even redder than before from the exertion of singing. “Although I have no doubt that he would make a great one.”

 

The driver didn’t respond. Upon hearing Hakyeon's comment, Taekwoon turned to face Hakyeon for the first time after getting into the car. Hakyeon didn’t back down this time, and searched Taekwoon’s face, wondering what he was thinking or thinking of saying.

 

“You look like a chocolate chip.”

 

That...was not what he expected.

 

After fighting laughing, Hakyeon gave in. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and laughed, his eyes tearing up from the insanity of it all.

 

“I-I what?” He asked, stammering the sentence between laughs.

 

“A chocolate chip,” Taekwoon repeated with all seriousness which did not help. Hakyeon’s abs were already aching.

 

“Why!?”

 

“Dark. Rich. Smooth.” He slurred the last word slightly, his tongue sounding sloppy in his mouth. And, after his statement, he tapped Hakyeon on the nose. Hakyeon jumped slightly, and stopped laughing. Taekwoon remained smiling, proud with himself from his description, as if it was the most fitting simile he ever came up with. Hakyeon found himself fascinated by his smile. It was small, yet, it shined brighter than any light in that second. His eyes sparkling crescents, twinkling like the stars above.

 

Hakyeon felt his own face turn red this time.

 

But as soon as it appeared, it vanished just as quickly.

 

“H-Hey!”

 

Taekwoon leaned forward, placing his hand on top of Hakyeon’s thigh to get a better view of the window behind Hakyeon. His eyes glued to the outside, clearly starting to recognize where they were going. The other boy was so close, his cheek only centimeters from Hakyeon’s own. The smell of liquor was overwhelming, and yet--

 

"Where are we going!?" Taekwoon yelled, snapping Hakyeon from his thoughts.

 

"I-I need to grab something from Jaehwan's place," Hakyeon blurted out, and Taekwoon glanced at him again, blinking away the fog in his eyes.

 

"Oh."

 

Turns out, that was enough of an explanation for him.

 

When they reached the building, Hakyeon paid the driver then helped Taekwoon out. Hakyeon wrapped his arm back around Taekwoon’s, and allowed him to lean back against him. Taekwoon didn't protest to slide is card key in the first door, or with the elevator. Hakyeon pressed the button to Taekwoon's floor, expecting a complaint, but when he glanced at Taekwoon, his hand was resting on his forehead, his eyes shut.

 

"H-Hey...are you okay?"

 

That's when Taekwoon's legs finally buckled. Hakyeon caught him as best as he could.

 

"Hey, hey. Taekwoon. Hey. You okay?"

 

Hakyeon persistently asked the questions, not sure if he was conscious at first. He brushed away Taekwoon’s fringe with gentle fingers, and saw his eyes still open, struggling to focus.

 

The elevator dinged and Hakyeon picked up Taekwoon as best as he could again, managing to carry him more than drag him at least. Taekwoon's apartment was only two doors down from the elevator. Hakyeon pulled out Taekwoon's wallet, fumbling through the slots until he found the key and unlocked the door. Kicking it open, he yanked Taekwoon inside. In the opening where the shoes were located, Taekwoon threw up.

 

"Shit..." Hakyeon muttered, pulling back a little. Thankful they were at least in his home than in the hallway. Kicking off his shoes as quickly as possible, Hakyeon ran inside, not processing anything until he found the kitchen and then the paper towel. He grabbed the entire roll, but pulled off a section to soak under water. When he came back to Taekwoon, he abandoned the roll to the side and wiped the dampened portion on Taekwoon's mouth when it appeared safe enough to do so. Wasting no time, he hauled the man out of the entryway, guiding him to the bathroom which, thankfully, was in the same place as Jaehwan's. The whole layout was actually the same as Jaehwan's, but he didn't realize it at first.

 

Taekwoon slumped against the toilet bowl, his eyes half closed. Hakyeon went to help him out of his coat, but Taekwoon brushed him off.

 

"I'm fine.." he murmured, refusing to look at Hakyeon.

 

"Okay." Hakyeon said, and nodded, unsure what to say or do. "I-I...I'll be back.."

 

"Wait-"

 

Hakyeon stopped, turning to face Taekwoon once more.

 

"Thank you...for bringing me home..."

 

Taekwoon's eyes settled on Hakyeon, and his eyes for once were are clear as ice. Feeling his cheeks heating up, Hakyeon only managed a nod.

 

 

  
***

 

 

  
His alarm rang two hours after he finally fell asleep. Groaning, he shut it off right away, not wanting to wake Taekwoon. He doubted he could hear it, but he wanted to be careful.

 

He spent the night on Taekwoon's couch. For most of the night, he made sure that the other was okay. He cleaned up the spot in the doorway and made sure that Taekwoon didn't pass out in the bathroom. Paranoia wouldn't let Hakyeon leave; things could happen when you were drunk.

 

Taekwoon spent a majority of the night in the bathroom. Hakyeon assumed Taekwoon knew he was still there, but he wasn't so sure. After the vomiting subsided, Hakyeon drifted off on the couch at some point.

 

Hakyeon gathered his coat and stole a glance into Taekwoon's bedroom, relieved to find a breathing lump of covers. Smiling to himself, Hakyeon went back to his place, and took the fastest shower he ever had taken. He was thankful to finally wash off the stench of alcohol and barbeque that clung to every part of his body. He changed as fast as he could, fumbling over his tie as he walked out the door.

 

The uniform was stupid. As a barista, he didn’t understand why “all white” was a good concept, especially with black coffee. But he had no standing to protest.  
Thankfully, work wasn’t too far, and he wasn’t going to be the only one there.

 

“Good morning, Hakyeon,” his manager greeted him halfheartedly, clearly still needing her own morning coffee. Hakyeon just flashed a smile, slipping on his black cap and matching apron. Seconds from opening, and Hakyeon was only slightly late. He clocked in and went to the front register.

 

Their cafe was somewhat modern. A comfy modern. The walls matched their uniforms: white with accents in black. The cafe was well-lit, however still with a more “homey” lighting than the obnoxious fluorescent lights. The tables were all an eggshell marble, and the lounge area was made up of chairs and sofas in a deep coal. Everything around him was the same black and white, as well as the cups and lids. It was nice, in a way, until he spilled coffee onto his pants or sleeves and had to buy new clothes. Black attire would have at least made more sense, with a white hat and white apron.

 

One nice thing about working in a cafe was seeing all the familiar faces, day-in and day-out. There were always the girls who came in, serious about their studies, and even a couple guys. Some would come in just to get a coffee, and others would take up a whole table with their computer, textbooks, and papers.

 

The day would pass by in a blur. Many coffee orders, many impressive fancy latte designs, a couple of food orders. Customer after customer after customer. It was fast, upbeat, and it provided enough distraction from his own exhaustion to keep him moving. Just as the customers came quickly, so did the hours pass.

 

Hakyeon wiped down the counter by his register, keeping an eye on the time, waiting for his favorite customer to come in. Sometimes she was the entire reason he fought calling off. Sometimes she was the only beacon amongst the dark of the customers.

 

“Hakyeon _oppa_ !”

 

He pretended to jump when the tiny hands slammed on the counter. Playing it up a little, he held his hand and rag to his chest, his breath seeming labored. “You scared me!”

 

The little girl giggled. “I did not!”

 

“You did! I almost had a heart attack!”

 

“You did not!” She protested with another giggle. “You know we always come in at ten o’clock!”

 

“Good morning, Mr. Cha.”

 

Hakyeon fixed his cap and bowed to his professor. He had her as a teacher before he started working at the cafe, and normally he would feel anxious seeing a professor when he wasn’t in class, but she always brought her kids on the weekends.

 

Her chestnut hair was tied back into a ponytail, allowing her pearl earrings to stand out. Dressed in a burgundy jacket and charcoal pencil skirt, she resembled a strict business woman rather than a professor. Her youngest child balanced in her arms, staring at Hakyeon with wide eyes as he chewed on his index finger.

 

“Good morning, _sunsengnim_ . Would you like the usual today?”

 

She hesitated a moment, then responded, “Maybe a Vanilla Berry Latte for me today. I’m in the mood for something sweet. Songhee will have the usual.” She patted her daughter’s head with her free hand, and the little girl giggled again.

 

“Coming right up. I will bring it to you.”

 

He smiled as he finished the transaction when Songhee held out a unicorn sticker for him.

 

“For you!”

 

“For me? Ah, but I didn’t get you anything!” He said as he took the sticker, and was unsure what to do with it for a second.

 

“Wear it! On your name-thing!”

 

Hakyeon laughed and put it on his nametag. Thankfully, his managers would be lax about that. Songhee clapped her hands in excitement, then took off to join her mother. Still grinning, Hakyeon adjusted his nametag, fixing the unicorn until it was just right.

 

“Is that part of the uniform?”

 

The voice was so quiet, Hakyeon imagined he hallucinated it from the lack of sleep. But sure enough, standing right in front of him was Taekwoon. Wearing the same long wool coat, with a baseball cap pulled over his hair, Taekwoon stood in front of his counter.

 

"I-It's not.." Hakyeon started, stammering dumbly. Cutting himself off to clear his throat, he flashed an awkward smile and tried again. "H-Hi. What can I get you?"

 

Taekwoon's lips pursed. "When do you go on break?"

 

Hakyeon blanched and stole a glance at the clock. "U-Uh..in about thirty minutes maybe?"

 

"I'll be waiting."

 

Hakyeon's mouth fell open, full of questions he couldn't voice, but Taekwoon continued. "Mocha. Medium." He placed a 10,000 _won_ bill on the counter, and didn't wait for change.

 

Hakyeon watched, stunned, as Taekwoon chose a table in the corner to wait at. It took a couple of seconds before Hakyeon took the bill and rang it up, pocketing the cash to hand to him after.

 

He prepared the drinks for the professor and Taekwoon. A little shaken up, it took longer than usual. When he stole a peek at Taekwoon, he burned his finger while pouring coffee. An amateur mistake. He was better than this.

 

The next thirty minutes were hell. As disinterested as Taekwoon seemed as he sat at the table alone, Hakyeon's heart pounded, knowing he was waiting for him. How did he know where to find him and what was he going to say? Did he even remember last night? He noticed his hat was pulled all the way down; he was clearly hungover, trying to avoid the lighting as much as possible. As drunk as he was, he _had_ to be hungover.

 

After what felt like five hours, the thirty minutes passed. He was dismissed for his break. Unsure what was going to happen next, he clocked out, and went up to Taekwoon's table, rubbing his sweating hands against his white pants. For reasons unknown, he was worried.

 

"I only have forty-five minutes and I really need to eat something. There's a restaurant a couple doors down I was planning to go to they have really good _ramyeon_ -"

 

"That's fine," Taekwoon said in his firm but quiet way, cutting off Hakyeon's anxious rambling.

 

Hakyeon swallowed thickly as Taekwoon stood up, taking the last sip of his mocha. Hakyeon caught himself staring, and then remembered his change.

 

"Here's your change from before--" He said, thrusting the handful of bills towards Taekwoon. The other man eyed it for a second, then took it, said nothing, and pocketed it.

 

Without any other conversation, Hakyeon led the way to the restaurant. It was technically part of the university, but it carried much better food than the cafeteria, and more variety. Not to mention it tasted better and it was cheap. The hostess sat them at a small table. The place was relatively tiny, and only one other customer occupied the joint, eating her food alone while she studied. Hakyeon stared at the menu, hoping Taekwoon would be the one to start talking. For once in his life, Hakyeon was at a loss of what to say.

 

The waitress took their order: Hakyeon ordered some kimchi _ramyeon_ , while Taekwoon ordered the spicy hangover _ramyeon_ . With the menu out of his hands, Hakyeon didn't know what to do with his fingers, so he took a sip of his water, giving himself an excuse not to talk.

 

"I spoke with Jaehwan-ah," Taekwoon finally said. His voice carried no emotion and his quiet demeanor didn’t give anything away. Hakyeon stole a glance at Taekwoon; the other was taking out the spoons and chopsticks from a container for the both of them. As he divided them up, Hakyeon realized he never even checked his messages to see if Jaehwan ever contacted him about Wonshik. He saw he had messages, but he was too much in a rush to read them, and it would be rude to look at them now. He at least hoped there was no trouble in getting Wonshik home.

 

"He told me what happened."

 

Swallowing thickly, Hakyeon placed his glass down and debated how to respond. "How much do you remember?"

 

Taekwoon shook his head, his long fingers fiddling with the metal chopsticks, the lip of his cap blocking his face. "Not much." He paused. "He wasn’t sure what happened. But he told me you took me home." Hakyeon took another long sip of his water to fight the heat gathering in his cheeks. He didn't remember much and knew Hakyeon took him back to his apartment. For all he knew, Taekwoon was going to accuse him of--

 

"Thank you."

 

Hakyeon coughed on his water, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried to force down the water. The coughing fit persisted, and he turned his head away, aware of Taekwoon now staring at him when the other realized it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. Between coughs, Hakyeon forced down some more water, hoping to make it subside, and it did for the most part. Some residual coughs fought their way out, but then it calmed down.

 

And only after did Hakyeon became aware of how stupid he appeared to Taekwoon.

 

“Are you..okay?” Taekwoon asked, gazing at the other with uncertainty.

 

Hakyeon kept one hand over his mouth, and nodded subtly.

 

“Y-Yeah, I, uh..” Hakyeon started, and realized he sounded like a frog or something and cleared his throat. “I’m okay. Sorry.”

 

It was silent for a second, and Hakyeon wondered if there was something he could do to seem less...dumb. Taekwoon was really pretty for a man. Like a love interest from a _shoju_ manga, or a prince. Hakyeon could blame his own stupidity on that. Although, he thought he had some game with abnormally beautiful girls and boys. Maybe he really didn’t.

 

“No. I’m sorry. For...whatever happened last night,” Taekwoon replied, taking his hat off for a second to rake his fingers through his black hair that was still so gorgeous, and then placed the hat back down. Hakyeon was tempted to ask him to leave it off, but they weren’t at that level of friendship. Or...acquaintance-ship.

 

“You..uh..really don’t remember anything?” His hands remained on his water glass to keep them occupied from fidgeting. But he wasn’t going to take a sip of it for obvious reasons.

 

Taekwoon pursed his lips. “I remember...the _noraebang_. Or at least most of it.” His eyes fixed on Hakyeon’s face, and Hakyeon gripped his glass tighter, fighting the gnawing urge to turn away and hide his heated cheeks.

 

“I don’t remember you..” Taekwoon squinted for a second, as if that would help, but it obviously didn’t. “For the life of me, I can’t remember anything about you…”

 

“You called me a chocolate chip,” Hakyeon blurted out before he could stop himself. That elicited a glowing smile and an even brighter laugh. A full-hearted laugh; like Hakyeon succeeded in breaking down some of his walls that Taekwoon had rebuilt with his sobriety.

 

“Did I--why the _hell_ would I do that?”

 

“I-I think it was because of my skin,” Hakyeon said, allowing himself to relax a little, rubbing his cheeks in a self-conscious way. “Something about rich and smooth…”

 

Taekwoon tipped his head back to laugh, covering his shimmering white teeth with his hand. Hakyeon’s own hand twitched, wanting to take it into his own so he could gaze upon that smile.

 

“Oh god,” Taekwoon said, and wiped his eyes.

 

The waitress brought their _ramyeon_ out, setting the steaming bowls in front of the both of them. It smelled delicious and spicy; Hakyeon almost forgot Taekwoon was supposed to be hungover and yet he made him laugh so loud.

 

The moment passed and Taekwoon stirred his _ramyeon_ , the steam wafting up in pillowing clouds. He picked up a bunch of noodles in his chopsticks, seemed to consider them, then released them.

 

“Comforting.”

 

Hakyeon’s mouth was open, ready to eat some of his own noodles. He stopped, blinked, and studied Taekwoon. “Huh?”

 

“I think chocolate chips are comforting. I think..I think maybe I thought you were comforting...” Hakyeon dropped his own noodles back in his own bowl, unsure how to respond. Taekwoon’s gaze fell on his one more time, and one side of his mouth quirked up into a half grin. “I only wish I remembered you.”

 

Hakyeon hoped the other thought the steam and spice was the reason for becoming flushed. He willed himself to mirror Taekwoon; eyes locked, mouth quirked, and no chickening out this time.

“Maybe I will help remind you.”


End file.
